Tag Archives: IBM

Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO) is the executive arm of the Netherlands national government for education. DUO finances and informs participants in education and educational institutions and organises examinations.

DUO uses CoolSpools for sending emails from IBM i partitions because prior to release 7.1 there was no native tool that would let you send emails with IFS based attachments. Most of the attachments are .zip files and .pdf files – the .zip files are created by DUO’s own software, the .pdf files via standard CPYSPLF functionality. The emails with attachments are used for both internal and external communications.

Ivar Eizenga – DUO’s IBM Power Infrastructure Manager says “Implementation using CoolSpools was pretty simple and working with CoolSpools and the support team has been brilliant so far. We’re currently moving our systems from Power7 to Power8 and we received all the extended licenses for our side-by-side operation without any major hassle, which in this time and age is kind of unique”.

Whether presenting to the board, communicating across the company or trying to impress potential new clients or partners, it’s important to present documents with clear, accurate information.

A great way to ensure the accuracy of your documents is to produce them from spool files using a spool file converter, and if you work with an IBM as400 (System I, iSeries) server, perhaps the most powerful spool file converter on the market is CoolSpools (www.staging.giextensions.com/coolspools).

Here are four potential pitfalls when producing documents for business – and how CoolSpools software can help you avoid them.

1. Inaccurate or out-of-date data

In fast-moving business environments, information is constantly changing. Offer inaccurate of outdated information and not only could it be personally embarrassing to you – it could also come with a huge cost to your business

Because CoolSpools uses data taken directly from your System i spool file, its veracity is guaranteed. Your iSeries PDF, Excel file or XML extract will have the same info as your iSeries spool file, preventing potential human errors.

2. Irrelevant information is included

Overloading your recipients with information must be avoided. If the reader can’t find the information that’s relevant to them, they may just stop looking for it. Remember, not everyone needs everything!

With CoolSpools software, it’s easy to covert spool to PDF or Excel and then split the output into multiple documents, based on criteria you specify. CoolSpools can even email the split System i Excel files and PDFs to multiple email addresses – so everyone gets the info they need, and nothing more.

3. Multiple documents where one will do

A similar issue is caused by sending too many documents to you recipients. How will they know which to read first – and will they bother with the subsequent ones?

A great – and unique – feature of CoolSpools is that you can convert your as400 spool to Excel or PDF then append the converted document to existing Excel spreadsheets or PDFs – even if they weren’t created by CoolSpools.

4. Your documents look off-putting – or off-brand

Boring looking documents are likely to go unread. And if your marketing department are sticklers for brand identity, you’ll have to ensure all corporate logos are present and correct.

This is easy with CoolSpools software. It can insert JPEGs or GIFs into your System i PDF documents for you – so your documents won’t just be accurate and relevant, they’ll also look great and on-brand too.

About CoolSpools software

Developed by IT experts Ariadne Software, CoolSpools provides a simple, reliable spool file converter for IBM as400, iSeries and System i. Whether you need to convert spool to AS/400 PDF, Excel or XML, you’ll find it simple and reliable.

Are you getting the most from your System i environment? Is your data managed, extracted and communicated in the most efficient manner? Or do you feel like your System i databases and spool files could be working harder for you?

Developed by IBM as400 experts Ariadne, CoolSpools is the complete System i information management solution. With CoolSpools you can manage emails, administer spool files, and convert database and spool extracts to System i PDF, Excel, XML, HTML and many other formats.

Here’s an overview of the four powerful packages on offer from CoolSpools – and how they could help you make the most of your System i environment…

Database extracts to suit you

Extracting information from your System i database into Excel, HTML or XML is so much easier thanks to CoolSpools Database. All as400 database files are supported, and if used in conjunction with CoolSpools Spool Converter it can even extract data from your database into PDFs.

Spool file administration

Get full control over your System i spool files with this powerful administration software. With automated conversion, distribution and management tools, the ability to work with online AS/400 spool files, plus the option to run the same command against multiple iSeries spools, you’ll have unprecedented, unparalleled control over your System i spool files.

Convert spool to Excel, PDF and more…

Perhaps the most impressive of CoolSpools’ tools is its spool file converter. Convert spool to Excel, PDF or XML. Split your as400 Excel files or PDFs into multiple documents – or append them to existing documents. Insert conditional formatting into System i Excel files, or images into your iSeries PDFs. There’s so much it can do – and it’s so easy to use.

Flexible email management tools

Once you’ve converted your System i spool file to your required format, such as iSeries PDF or Excel, you’ll want to ensure the right people receive the right files, and at the right time. Here’s where CoolSpools’ email management software comes in. The software is highly customisable, allowing for up to 32 attachments, and emails can be sent via the command line or from programs via API.

Each of the four pieces of CoolSpools software can be purchased individually, but buy them together and not only will you have a complete as400 informational management suite at your fingertips, you’ll also make huge savings.

So what are you waiting for? Take control of your System i environment with CoolSpools software and you won’t believe you ever managed without it.

Here’s a quick look at what CoolSpools could do for you…

What is a spool file converter?

Simple! A spool file converter is a piece of software that takes your spooled System i files and coverts them from a hard-to-understand data extract into an easy-to-read document, in the format of your choice.

What formats can CoolSpools export to?

With CoolSpools software, you can perform System i file conversion to a number of popular formats. Want to convert spool to Excel? Consider it done. Convert spool to PDF? Not a problem. Export your AS/400 data extract to XML? Piece of cake! CoolSpools’ reliable software makes it all so simple.

How much control do I have over the converted files?

Plenty. If you need conditional formatting and color-coding in your System i Excel files, that can be automated. Need images, text formatting and other style features in your iSeries PDFs? CoolSpools can do it. Want to split your System i PDF into multiple documents? Tell CoolSpools where to split, and it’ll split it for you. CoolSpools can also merge the System i PDF and Excel files it creates with your existing documents – even if they weren’t created in CoolSpools.

Sounds impressive. But how does a spool file converter help my business?

By creating documents direct from your AS/400 data extract, the accuracy and integrity of your data is assured. By automating the document production process, you’re saving time – and therefore you’re saving money. And the incredible levels of flexibility and customization offered by CoolSpools means that you can get the information you need, in the format you need, whenever you need it.

Output the latest sales figures to an AS/400 Excel spreadsheet. Produce an attractive AS/400 PDF to present to clients, complete with company branding. Import iSeries XML into web applications rather than manually entering data. You can do all this – and much more – with the easy-to-use CoolSpools software.

This is really just scratching the surface of how CoolSpools’ powerful information management software will boost your productivity. Find out more at www.ariadnesoftware.co.uk.

It started as a simple idea: create an application system for midsized business.” First in a series of videos to celebrate the 25th anniversary of IBM i. Features insights from IBMers Frank Soltis, AS/400 Chief Architect, and Steve Will, IBM i Chief Architect, on how integration and investment protection were the foundation for the industry’s most successful midrange system.
IBMi25 first video @ http://bit.ly/142PWuN